The Littles: A Lot of "Little" August Adventures

Thursday, August 1 - Saturday, August 31, 2019

Thursday, August 1

What better way to start a day and month than a trip to Lindale for an annual mammogram? I didn't mind it so much, but Barbara had a whole different feeling about it. At least she didn't have to wait long, so we were out of there and headed back home in about 45 minutes.

This afternoon we drove to the church in Yantis to help with the annual Backpack Program that provides backpacks and school supplies for children and families who need a little extra help. This is a program that has been going on for over 15 years in Yantis, and it is much appreciated by those who are the recipients. Today's efforts were in organizing the school supplies by grade levels.

We set a new modern record for posting a journal/blog on schedule when we "pushed the button" at 11:30 PM to send out the July email edition and post the Facebook edition.

++++++++

Friday, August 2

The annual August heat wave hit with a vengeance, taking out any inclination to work outside. If it can't be done by 10:30 AM, it ain't gonna get done! That was just as well, as I spent nearly ten hours today organizing notes given to me by the FBCY deacons and typing a draft of a proposed Church Policies and Procedures Manual.

While I was facing a day at the keyboard, Barbara decided to play in the kitchen and make a jar of pickles and a few other goodies.

We both took a break from our duties to go back out to Yantis to fill the backpacks with school supplies that were either purchased by the church or donated by church members and others in the community.

++++++++

Saturday, August 3

The good news today was that after I typed for another 6 hours and Barbara proof-read, we finally had a good draft of the Church Policies and Procedures Manual.

The bad news is that we discovered a very minor oil leak under Taz. Until the last fiasco with Broadway Power Sports in Tyler, Taz had never leaked even a single drop of oil. Since it's Saturday and there was no one to talk to at BPS, we called Cousin Ladd to see if he had a set of ramps I could use to elevate Taz enough to look underneath and try to spot the leak source. While I was over there, Logan came out and found a You-Tube source that explained about changing oil. In the course of watching the video, we discovered that after an oil change (which we had done in Tyler during that 57-day Taz hospital stay, there may be minor leakage if oil was spilled while pouring in the new oil. What they described was exactly what we were seeing, so we decided to just keep an eye on things to see if the leakage continued. Logan is so helpful that we think we may just put him on a retainer for technical advice and assistance.

Another bit of good news today was that while Logan was looking up videos on Can-Am Syyder maintenance, I actually looked in the manual that came with Taz and discovered that we did, indeed, have helmet hooks for securing our helmets when we are parked. It took us only 6 years of lugging helmets or stashing them in the saddlebags to find this out. Oh well, everyone is a slow learner about something...LOL

++++++++

Sunday, August 4

Today was a very special day in the life of First Baptist Church Yantis, as three new deacons were ordained during a very memorable service. We got to the church early so I could run off copies of the policies and procedures draft for all the deacons, and then practice the music portion of the program.

During the course of the sermon each new deacon gave his personal testimony of salvation, and then Kent Pate, the area association director, delivered a beautiful charge to the deacons and the church.

We didn't have a church service tonight, so we took advantage of the non-broiling temperatures and went for a Taz adventure around the area.

++++++++

Monday, August 5

Today was the day for Alecia to clean the house, Barbara to do laundry, and me to go out to Yantis to count the money from yesterday's offerings.

This evening we drove to Lake Fork and AJ's Fish House to participate (with emphasis on the "ate" part) in the annual Children's Protective Services "Tips for Tots" fundraiser. Pastors of area churches take orders and act as servers, and the tips they receive all go to CPS. We did our part by buying raffle tickets, giving some tips to our waiter, and helping the restaurant reduce their inventory of food.

++++++++

Tuesday, August 6

This morning I joined men from our church and Lake Fork Baptist Church to build a ramp at one of our church members house. It was sweltering hot, but very rewarding work.

Barbara worked on bills and bank statements this afternoon and then we drove to Sulphur Springs to do some shopping at Dollar Tree and Tractor Supply before doing some evening sightseeing on the way back to Emory to pick up some Chinese food for supper.

++++++++

Wednesday, August 7

Yesterday I received a phone call from the state director for Bugles Across America asking if I could sound Taps at a burial service near Quitman. The answer was yes, of course, so this morning Barbara and I drove to the Myrtle Springs Cemetery and waited in the 102-degree heat for the procession to arrive. Thankfully, Taps and the presentation of the flag to the family was first, so we were able to leave and return home before we melted.

++++++++

Thursday, August 8

This morning was all about the kitchen and our bathroom. Barbara spent her time in the kitchen working on new trifle recipes, while I spent my morning dismantling the plumbing under the bathroom sink, unclogging it, cleaning it, and replacing it. I've decided that plumbers certainly do earn their pay!

This afternoon we went to Yantis...again...to join a few other church members in setting up the fellowship hall for the annual Back-to-School breakfast for the Yantis school teachers and staff. It took a couple of hours to get everything the way we wanted, but we were pleased when we finished.

++++++++

Friday, August 9

At the beginning of each school year the Missions Committee of First Baptist Church Yantis sponsors a back to school breakfast for Yantis school teachers and auxiliary personnel. This morning we joined the committee members and other church members to prepare breakfast, distribute gifts and school supplies, and help the school staff get off to a great start for the new school year.

Following the cleanup period after the teachers returned to work, we drove back to Mineola, packed a few things in the car, and left for a weekend road trip to Seguin, with an overnight stopover tonight in La Grange.

++++++++

Saturday, September 10

In looking at brochures for things to see and do in this part of the Hill Country, we found references to the Painted Churches. I had heard of them, but had no idea what they were all about, so we decided to find out. Barbara plotted out a course of sorts on her phone apps, and we took off.

The first stop we made was at Hostyn Community (originally named Bluff by the Moravian settlers in 1856), where we visited the grounds of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Among the monuments on the grounds are a pair of cannons dedicated to Joseph Lidiak (father) and John Lidiak (son) who served on opposite sides during the American Civil War. The two are buried next to each other in the adjoining cemetery.

Just a couple of miles down the road we found St. Mary's Catholic Church (High Hill), dating from 1906, and nicknamed the "Queen" of the painted churches.

It took a little maneuvering around the countryside to get down to I-10 and head back east for a few miles to find the tiny community of Dubina (population 44) and The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The church was built in 1876, but was destroyed later by a hurricane. It was rebuilt and survived a fire that destroyed most of the community.

Just south of the church and cemetery on a small county road is the Piano Bridge. Some say that it was given that name by the sound that was made by vehicles passing over the bridge, while others opine that it was because of the construction method which is much like a piano wire truss. In either case, the bridge is definitely load-zoned, and we weren't willing to take a chance by driving over it.

Wandering back to the west from Dubina we found the tiny community of Ammannsville and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. The church and a school opened in 1890. Destroyed by the hurricane of 1909, the church was rebuilt. It burned shortly thereafter and had to be rebuilt a second time. Although 800 people once lived in the immediate area, only a small fraction of them now live in the town proper.

Our church tour brought us to Praha (Prague, paying homage the their homeland from which the immigrants fled to start new lives in Texas). St. Mary's Church of the Assumption is a hostoric church on FM 1295 in Praha. It was built in 1895 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Gottfried Flury, a Swiss-born artist from Moulton, Texas, painted much of the interior.

Barbara went inside the church to take photos while I walked around the grounds to look at some of the memorials and monuments. We were both brought to tears when we discovered that three of the monuments were dedicated to nine local buys who had been killed in action during World War II, giving Praha, with a population of fewer than 100 residents, the dubious honor of being the community with the highest percentage of military deaths in the United States. The men are known collectively as "The Nine Boys of Praha."

From Praha we drove west on I-20 to Seguin to chick in at our hotel and await the arrival of son John, Carol, and step-grandsons Rhett and Bowman, who would be driving over from San Antonio to spend a few hours with us.

When the kids got there, the good times began with talking, playing, swimming, and eating...all good family fun...

++++++++

Sunday, August 18

When possible, and when we aren't stressed for time on our travels, we like to like to find a church service on Sunday mornings before heading down the road. This morning we were delighted to spend time with the congregation at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Seguin. Not only did we enjoy a great sermon and wonderful fellowship, we also "borrowed" some great ideas to take home to our church in Yantis.

The rest of the day was all about driving hard and fast to get back home. We were helped by being able to take the SH 130 toll road from Seguin to Georgetown at 85 MPH. It costs, but it's always been well worth it! From there we were on I-35 to I-20...a good drive except for Waco, where every lane was backed up and semi-moving at 2-4 MPH.

It's not unusual for us to stop somewhere and do a bit of goofing around. Today was certainly no different as we refueled and went inside the truck stop in Italy.

We got home before dark, unpacked, and settled in for the night...weary after nearly 700 miles of travel, but glad we got to see all the sights we saw over the weekend.

++++++++

Monday, August 12

Happy Middle Child Day!!!!!

This is a day that I've never celebrated, but Barbara insisted that it was important enough to celebrate, and she made sure that her older sister and younger sister both saw it.

PS...Barbara is a middle child, in case you haven't guessed, and she does have some interesting tales about the injustices that life heaps on middle children, so I'm giving her a free pass on this one...LOL

Monday, August 12 - Wednesday, August 14

These three days were taken up with cleaning up after the Seguin/Shulenburg adventure and preparing for the next big adventure. There were clothes to be washed, a house to be cleaned, yard work to be done,and suitcases to be repacked. I worked in a session with the pastor search committee Monday evening, and the car was in the Chevrolet shop for several hours on Wednesday for 120,000 mile services (only 20,000 miles late, but who's counting?)

While we were waiting on the car, we decided on a morning picnic for breakfast on Taz and then a quick ride around the countryside since we'll be getting the Virginia grandkids in a few days.

++++++++

Thursday, August 15

Barbara oversaw the packing of the car this morning to make sure everything was in place for the kids when we finally got them. Plus, since we'll be getting back home the 17th, we needed to have the children's sermon ready for Sunday, the 18th. We are pretty excited that our own grandkids will be able to come down that day for the lesson.

After packing the car for a new adventure, we went to Naturally Nails to let Leslie get our hair whipped back into shape, and then took off for a trip to Memphis, Tennessee, on the first leg of an exciting trip. For the first time ever we were going to have grandkids Ava, Jack, and Benjamin for a week. They had never been to Texas, let alone Mineola, so this was going to be groundbreaking stuff!

Today's trip included a drive up Texas Highway 37 through Quitman and Winnsboro until we reached Mt Vernon and turned east on I-30 passing through Texarkana, where we stopped for a necessary break at the Arkansas Welcome Station, and then on to Little Rock to pick up I-40 and continue the drive to Memphis, where we settled in for the night.

++++++++

Friday, August 16

After a lazy morning and a late breakfast at the hotel, we continued our drive across Tennessee on I-40 until we got to Nashville, and then dropped south to find our hotel in Brentwood. The kids would be coming in later in the day, so we managed to get in some nap time to get refreshed for a busy evening.

Mike, Kelly, and the three grandchildren arrived later and after getting settled in their rooms, we hit the pool for some water fun...

And then enjoyed a family meal together on the deck...pizza...LOTS of pizza.

After Ava, Jack, and Benjamin had their baths, everyone came to our room so we could show the little ones the mystery bags that Grams had prepared for them for the drive to Mineola tomorrow. There was more than enough to keep them busy on the drive, but they would have to wait until we were are on the road to see everything that was there for them.

Then it was time for everyone to head for bed. Mike, Kelly, and the kids had come from Virginia today, so they were more than ready to call it a day.

++++++++

Saturday, August 17

This day dawned early as we all packed, ate breakfast at the hotel, and made the final preparations for a l-on-g day of travel. Mike and Kelly were headed back east, and we, with the back seat full of grandkids, were headed west for the first cross-country road adventure for Ava, Jack, and Benjamin...

Our first stop was at Jackson, Tennessee, Home of legendary train engineer, Casey Jones...

As we continued our way across Tennessee, we had to stop at the visitor center, situated on the Mississippi River at Memphis. We were hoping to get a shot of the kids and the Mississippi River, but the "new and improved" location had changed drastically since our last visit there many years ago, and the river could only be seen by a long walkway...out of the question on this hot and steamy day.

Shortly after crossing the river into Arkansas, we made a stop at their Welcome Station to get photos of the kids as they took their first steps in a new state...

As the photo on the bottom right shows, it didn't take long for the kids to crash and burn after a busy morning.

The kids slept until we reached Little Rock, where we took a short break and then continued across I-30 until we crossed the Texas State Line. The first order of business in Texas was to stop for something to eat. The kids love to eat at Chick-Fil-A, a great place for them to eat a favorite meal and work off some stored energy in the play room.

Another stop was at the Texas Welcome Station to have photos taken at the giant Texas marker. Following that, we continued the journey across I-30 until we got to Mt. Vernon and dropped down through Winnsboro and Quitman (where they saw the Wood County Courthouse, where their Great-Grandfather Faulk served as County Attorney many, many years ago), and then on to Mineola to get into the house and pass out after a long and busy day.

++++++++

Sunday, August 18

Today was anything but slow and easy. In fact, it was fast and furious with all the activities we had.

First was a Texas Treat, a WhataBreakfast at Whataburger, to celebrate the kids' first full day in Texas.

After breakfast we drove to Yantis for church...

And we had the pleasure of having our own grandchildren to participate in the children's sermon.

Our sermon this morning was about Popcorn Christians, based on Romans 8:28.

BARBARA: In Romans 8:28 we read that all things work together for good to them that love God.

Even at your ages you know that not everything that happens to you is good. You get sick, you get bumps and bruises, maybe something hurtful happens in your family or with your friends. All kinds of things can “pop” up in our lives that we don’t expect and don’t like. But the Bible promises that even the bad things that happen to us work together for good if we love God and have accepted Christ as our savior. When we believe and show that we trust God in all things good or bad, we could be called Popcorn Christians. Now that sounds like a strange name, but there is a good reason for it.

JIM: You’re right, Mrs. Little. Do any of you kids like popcorn? Yeah, I thought you probably did. Did you know that popcorn has been around for over 500 years and grows in all sizes and colors? The difference between regular corn and popcorn isn’t about the sizes and colors, though. It is all about the special qualities inside the kernels of popcorn that cause them to puff out or “pop” when they are exposed to great heat. Kernels of other kinds of corn may look like popcorn kernels, but they will never pop open and release the special flavor of popcorn. They can’t stand the heat and will only dry up and shrivel when they are exposed to fire the way popcorn is. That’s like it is with people…anyone can show good qualities when everything is cool and good, but Popcorn Christians are those who show the unusual qualities of Jesus in their lives when things heat up and get uncomfortable or very difficult for them.

Popcorn, like a true Christian, is different not on the outside, but on the inside. It is having Christ in our hearts that makes us Christians. Christians can’t brag about their own power or strength, or wisdom. It is the unusual quality of Christ in them that makes them different. Peter and the other apostles couldn’t brag about how they escaped from prison to continue teaching and preaching. It was only through Christ’s power, strength, and wisdom that they could do what they did.

One of the greatest stories about being tried by fire is in the Old Testament, where we read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego who were thrown into a fiery furnace to be burned alive, but because of their faith in God, they walked out of the furnace without a mark on them.

BARBARA: That’s right, Mr. Little. It doesn’t matter about the outside…you can be any shape, size, or color, just like the popcorn kernels; but if you are a Popcorn Christian, you will show your true colors when things heat up or go wrong in your lives…because it’s the quality of what is inside that counts! We just have to remember that though bad things might happen, good can come from them if we trust in the Lord.

Our special treat for you this morning is a bag of popcorn with a card attached that says, “When life heats up, God is up to something good.” Romans 8:28

JIM: “Heavenly Father, when things go wrong in our lives and we are facing troubles, help us to remember that with Christ in our hearts we can show the world the difference you have made and will continue to make in our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.”

After church we returned to the house to wait for Daughter Heather and Grandson Alexander to arrive for a visit and lunch at Jalapeno Tree.

As we were finishing our meal, our friend Cherrie, a very special friend of Aunt T.J,'s came over to see us before having a meal with her son and his family.

And then we returned to the house for a visit and a chance for the cousins to play. Alexander was great with the little ones, and they all enjoyed the special time together.

After Heather and Alexander left to return home to Richardson, the kids went outside to do chalk drawings on the driveway and have some fun sprinkling each other in the front yard. The community splash pad was broken, so everyone in town had to make their own water fun.

When it cooled down a little in the evening, the kids had their first Texas experience on Taz. Ava and Jack had received short rides on their street when we visited them in Virginia a few years ago, but this was the very first time on Taz for Benjamin. This was a getting acquainted/reacquainted with Taz in the driveway (thus, no helmets...yet).

Later, they each got a ride around the neighborhood to see how they could handle it. We were pleased that each of them did very well, and wanted more.

The kids were really getting caught up with family today as this evening they got to meet their second and third cousins on the Little/Faulk side of the family when Angela, Madelyn, Jarhett, and Rex came for a visit.

The remainder of the evening was spent playing, then getting showers, watching a little TV, doing nightly devotionals and prayers, and then dropping off into a deep sleep after a very full day.

++++++++

Monday, August 19

Day Two of the Texas Adventure for our Virginia grandkids began with a pancake breakfast, followed by Taz rides to the civic center park to see if the splash pad was being repaired. It wasn't, but they didn't mind so much as long as they could ride on Taz.

Later, we took the kids to a "must see" sight for all grandkids when they come to visit...the Morton's Salt Palace in Grand Saline. The kids got to sit on a giant block of salt, tour the palace and see a film about the salt mine, and get their own piece of raw rock salt for a souvenir.

We had record-setting high temperatures today. Since the splash pad was still out of commission, we settled for cartoons and arts and crafts in the air-conditioned comfort of the house this afternoon.

Later this afternoon we met Madelyn and Jarhett and drove out to a friend's house where Maddey has set up a Tiny Library where folks can drop by and leave books, or borrow them.

Ava, Jack, and Benjamin didn't take long to find just what they wanted!

I had a pastor search committee meeting at church this evening, so I took Gramsie and the kids to our friends, the Hutchins, to play with Aubrey and Rivers at their farm. The photos tell the story...quite an "country" experience for the city kids.

++++++++

Tuesday, August 20

Everyone was worn out from all of yesterday's adventures, so we just stayed inside and vegged out on kids TV most of the morning.

Around 11:00 we loaded up and drove out to Yantis. Barbara was scheduled to attend the monthly Ladies Luncheon and deliver her testimony about Jimmy Clint. The plan was that I would take Ava, Jack, Benjamin, Aubrey, and Rivers to lunch while Barbara had a meal and fellowship with the ladies. Then, at a designated time, I would bring the kids back to the gymnasium for play time (with Aubrey in charge) while I gave my part of the testimony and then returned to the gym to supervise the kids until the ladies were finished.

Wonder of all wonders,the plan worked out to perfection. The kids and I enjoyed a great lunch at the Yantis Cafe'...the ladies enjoyed their luncheon...the kids behaved in the gymnasium...and Barbara and I gave our newest version of Jimmy Clint's testimony of overcoming alcoholism, losing his family, and wanting to tell school kids about the dangers of drinking, and how his cardio vascular disease caught up with him and he died before he was able to accomplish his dreams.

When we were all finished at the church, we took the kids to Holiday Villages of Lake Fork to see Big V and our property. Ava and Jack had stayed with us in Big V once upon a time when we were in Virginia, but this was all new to Benjamin. We had hoped to spend a night or two in Big V this week, but the temperatures were far too high for comfort, so this short visit was all we were able to work in for the kids. They did vote that we needed to bring Big V back to Virginia so we could share more adventures in her.

This evening we fixed another of our favorite meals for grandkids...build-your-own stacked enchiladas. Each child watched how we set up the assembly line (with Gramsie and me doing the cooking) and then prepared their own plate. Part of our enchilada suppers, with or without grandchildren, is to eat them in the living room while watching TV. The kids were good with that and did a great job of not making a mess out of what had the potential of being a very messy meal.

Following the kitchen clean-up, each of the kids got to design and eat their own ice cream cake dessert.

All-in all, it was a great day for the kids and Gramsie and Gramps...the following photos show activities that didn't fit into any organized category...

The evening concluded with our nightly devotional, prayers, and songs...a sweet way to finish a beautiful day!

++++++++

Wednesday, August 21

Today was the last day of activities for the kids in Mineola, so we crammed it as full as possible.

First, to avoid the intense heat of the day, were Taz rides for each of the kids, who had quickly become veteran riders. Today's trips were on the open highway through the country, down the main street, and through the civic center park before going back to the house. That also gave Gramsie a chance to start the final loads of laundry so the kids could gather their things and start packing for the first leg of their trip back home tomorrow.

When Cousin Jarhett got out of school this afternoon, Angela and Jarhett followed us to Sulphur Springs to take in a movie, Dora, the Explorer. Gramsie and I weren't all that excited about watching a feature-length cartoon movie, but were pleasantly surprised it wasn't that at all. We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie (and the bottomless buckets of popcorn).

As you can see in the bottom right photo in the collage, the kids were more than weary with well-doing...and Gramsie and Gramps weren't much better, but Gramps had to drive, and Gramsie had to keep him awake!

Back at the house we had a light meal, finished packing everything except what we'd each need in the morning, went through the devotional and prayer time (each of the kids says his/her own prayer), and then collapsed for a good night's sleep.

++++++++

Thursday, August 22

The Mineola adventure ended this morning as we loaded the car, checked the house for anything that might have been misplaced or forgotten, strapped the kids in the back seat of the car, and then went to Whataburger for a last Whatabreakfast before leaving town.

Our journey today took us from Mineola to Lindale, and then east on I-20 to the Louisiana state line near Shreveport, where we took a break for pictures and for Gramps to serenade anyone who would listen with some trumpet solos.

After another brief stop at Cracker Barrel to try to find some Texas T-shirts (unavailable, if you can imagine that), we continued across Louisiana to the Mississippi River and the entry to, you guessed it, Mississippi, where we had another break at the Vicksburg Welcome Center...time to stretch, use the facilities, and take some more photos.

The rest of the journey went well, except for the part where we stopped at a McDonalds to grab some lunch and I set my drink on top of the car while I helped strap the kids in. We bounced through the parking lot and back onto the street and were waiting at a stop light when a lady pulled up and told Barbara we had a drink on top of the car. Luckily, not a drop had been spilled, so I was able to have my Diet Coke and my fishburger while I continued the drive across Mississippi.

We stopped for the night at Meridian and found that our room was one of the most amazing we'd ever seen. I paced it off (using my band director 8-5 steps) and determined that the room was approximately 36 feet by 16 feet. Not only that, it was directly above the workout room, so there was no way the kids were going to disturb anyone as they let off steam by "bowling" across the room.

After getting everything set up in the room, we walked next door to the neighborhood I-HOP to enjoy breakfast for dinner. The kids really had fun decorating their pancakes!

Back at the hotel we whiled away the rest of the evening with games in the room, and swimming (and meeting a new friend at the pool).

++++++++

Friday, August 23

After a leisurely start to the day, we headed the two hours over to Birmingham, Alabama, where the kids would meet their great aunt TJ and third cousin Donnie and his wife Lynette for the first time.

Benjamin wasn't sure about going into the room. We don't know why, but are guessing that since we had come down a dark corridor and into a darker entryway to T.J.'s apartment (plus the fact that the kids knew there was a dog somewhere in the apartment), he wasn't going more than one step beyond the door. Luckily, Donnie is really just a big kid, so he went in and sat down with Benjamin and they had their own picnic.

After a walk with the kids outside, Benjamin finally relented and came into the apartment for lemonade and family photos...thank you Donnie and Lynette for a great visit!!!

One other "Little" note. The table in the bottom right of the collage was the kitchen table that we had in our home when I was growing up. Daddy had found a slab of marble, built a frame and legs for it, and that's where we ate our meals when the three of us boys lived with Mother and Daddy before we graduated and went into the Air Force. The legs have been cut down to make it a coffee table, but other than that, it's the same table five of us gathered around three times a day.

Donnie wondered aloud how many of all of us kids had banged their heads on the marble slab at one time or another. Within a very few minutes we heard a cracking sound and a loud cry from Benjamin, who was the first of a new generation to hit his head on the slab. Luckily, the Littles have long been blessed with hard heads, so their was no blood and no foul.

Since we had had a wonderful picnic style lunch at TJ's, we suggested to the kids that time would go faster with a little nap. They are travel troupers, that's for sure!

We arrived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in time to hit the traffic quite well! But, obnoxious car travel guide directed us around the city rather than the interstate back-ups! And, in no time, we were moving the kids into the hotel! Once again, the hotel gods looked down and smiled upon these grandparents. This time the room was tiny; but...look at that pool and the slide! Don't need to tell you that the kiddos were impressed!

++++++++

Saturday, August 24

With our hotel breakfast out of the way, we chose to take the kids to the world-famous Incline Railway on Lookout Mountain.

While waiting on the tram to take us back down the mountain, Jim mentioned to the young boy in front of us, how much he liked the hat he was wearing. He asked the boy where he got the hat and the boy gave the name of a store in Atlanta. The father then said that if we would give him our address, he would send one just like it. Jim tried it on to check the size and it was a perfect fit. At that point, the boy, Sebastian, said, "Please take it, I insist!" the deal was sealed when Jim took a ten dollar bill out of his pocket, slipped it into Sebastion's shirt pocket, and said, "Please take it, I insist." What a remarkable young man and a delightful experience!!!

Next on the agenda was a trip downtown to the Chatanooga Hotel and the Choo Choo Terminal.

The kids were blown away with how the passenger cars have been converted to hotel rooms.

At one of the gift shops, a young lady offered us some wonderful advice. She explained that a shuttle right next door would take us downtown to the Moon Pie General Store and it was a must for the kids. So...

Finally, it was time to get back to the motel and take a nap before their parents arrived. Though we did put the kids down, they were just too excited to close those eyes!

We joined Mike and Kelly as we drove about 30 minutes to Georgia where an aunt and uncle of Kelly's lived, and had a delightful time eating good old Southern barbecue AND pizza.

When we got back to the hotel, Mike and Kelly took the kids to their room, we went to our room, and everyone passed out...what a fun-filled day we had!!!

++++++++

Sunday, August 25

After joining the kids for breakfast in the motel, Barbara and I bid everyone good-bye. We had great plans of making the trip to Mineola in one day. However, the weather and the traffic convinced us that we weren't young chickens anymore and a trip of 716 miles just wasn't in our vocabulary.

We made several stops along the way to walk around and/or doze for a while. One of the stops was at the Alabama Welcome Station north of Birmingham on I-65.

Did we mention the rain? We went through at least six thunderstorms throughout the day...some leaving us with zero visibility..we couldn't even see far enough to get off the highway!

When we arrived in Vicksburg, we decided this was our "home" for the night. But, rather than sit around, we decided that we needed to investigate parts of Vicksburg we hadn't seen before. We were delighted when we found The River Front Murals which doubles as a flood wall. Definitely a site worth spending time walking and enjoying.

The murals depict great moments in the history of Vicksburg and the Mississippi Valley, and serve as great lessons for anyone who stops to really look at them.

We decided that on our next trip we will try to get good photographs of each mural and its accompanying marker.

The rest of the night was spent the way most of our nights are spent while on the road. That is, until we fell asleep and Barbara later woke up with ants crawling on her. That resulted in a call to the front desk and a change to a much larger and nicer room for the rest of the night.

++++++++

Monday, August 26

Barbara: I have a horrible habit of calling the refrigerator an ice box. Ava and I discussed why I did this which led to a conversation about Gramps' and Gramsie's grandmothers having an ice box. I meant to show her the one we have but never got around to it. So...I made a collage to show the kids.

This is an ice box that Jim's dad rescued and refinished. It's been a staple in the kitchen/dining room of Grannie's homes over the years, and now serves as a small pantry for canned goods.

On the way home from the pastor search committee meeting tonight, Jim stopped to take a couple of pictures of his favorite sight. Trees and Lake Fork! Lake Fork is so large that photos taken during the day don't show it off very well. Early morning and late evening photos are things of beauty!

++++++++

Tuesday August 27

Being his usual humorous self, Jim posted the following on FB... "Good morning to our East Texas friends. For those who asked us to bring that Mississippi Valley rain back with us yesterday. You can show your appreciation by making a generous contribution to "The Little's Travel Fund." Thank you and you are welcome."

Wednesday-Friday, August 28 - 30

Finally... we had 2 days where we had no obligations other than Band Rehearsal for Jim on Thursday night. And, on Friday, we returned the country library books the kids had and made a birthday delivery to Madelyn.

++++++++

Saturday, August 31

An early morning picture Jim took of his hummingbird feeder. We have two hummingbirds frequenting our yard this summer, but it has been impossible to take a photo of either of them actually feeding. One reason is that this one stands guard at points overlooking each of the three feeders and drives the other one off when it tries to feed...go figure!

After all of the travels of the last two weeks, the last thing on our radar was to go anywhere for any reason. This was supposed to be a weekend to veg out and stay cool in the house.

However, because of the rain, temperatures were projected to be lower this weekend so we decided a Taz ride was in our future. As always, we started with prayer.

When on a random trip, my job is to find a local place to have a meal. Today, I picked Legends in Jacksonville...well worth the stop!!!

When we arrived in Lufkin, I had researched and found that Overcomer was showing so stopping and taking in a movie just marked one of our bucket wishes off the list!

The movie was great and we were more than filled with good feelings (and good popcorn) as we made our way through the Saturday night traffic back to the hotel. We hadn't much more than gotten settled in when we were attached by a severe case of the munchies, so I took Taz to a convenience store/gas station about a block from the hotel to gas up for tomorrow's trip and grab some pizza slices and some cherry pies...go figure appetites when on a motorcycle ride!!!

And that's how we ended a very busy month of travels and activities...chilling out in a hotel in Lufkin, Texas.

++++++++

"The past is our definition. We may strive, with good reason, to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it."...Wendell Berry, American Author

Love and gratitude to all,

Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie